Everyone gets headaches. Everyone misplaces their phone or forgets a name now and then. Most of the time, these moments are harmless – the result of stress, fatigue, or just a busy mind. Yet they’re also examples of symptoms that can, in rare cases, signal something far more serious: a brain tumour.

So how can you tell the difference between a brain tumour and an ordinary tension headache, stress, a poor night’s sleep, or even a hangover?

As part of my research into earlier detection of brain tumours, I spoke with patients who had been diagnosed with one. Their experiences revealed a recurring pattern: both patients and GPs often dismissed early symptoms, which sometimes led to delays in diagnosis. This echoes findings from a previous study showing that people frequently overlook the warning signs. This is a problem because brain tumours require more invasive treatment if they’re not detected early.

Brain tumour symptoms often resemble everyday experiences – tiredness, stress, migraines, or the menopause – and overlap with much more common conditions such as anxiety, sinus infections, or chronic headaches.

When symptoms are vague or subtle, they can be easy to ignore or rationalise away. In a healthcare system where GP appointments can be difficult to get, patients may wait until symptoms become........

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